President Halts Transformation of Hospitals

President Ivan Gasparovic has put a definite stop to the transformation of hospitals into joint stock companies, something that acting health minister Ivan Uhliarik was hoping to push through, but which led a few thousand doctors to hand in their resignations.

President Ivan Gasparovic

According to the President, the interim government of Prime Minister Iveta Radicova as acting executive does not have the jurisdiction to submit the proposal to reform hospitals to her cabinet without his consent, and he is not giving it.

President Gasparovic announced the news today after meeting with Radicova, saying he had the right to decide based on constitutional law. Gasparovic guaranteed that “the transformation of hospitals would definitely not go ahead before a new government is installed”.

Now acting PM Radicova will instruct the health minister to prepare stringent budgeetary rules for hospitals, to prevent the debt situation from getting any worse.

Both the President and the PM are now hoping the resignations of almost 2,500 doctors will be taken back, but the transformation of hospitals was just one of their four gripes. Radicova said they should do it chiefly “in the interest of patients” and deal with their issues with the new government after the early elections in March 2012.